Ophioglossum pusillum

Rafinesque

Précis Découv. Somiol. 46. 1814.

Common names: Northern adder's-tongue herbe-sans-couture
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Ophioglossum vulgatum var. pseudopodum (S.F. Blake) Farwell
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Roots yellow to tan, to 15 per plant, 0.3-1 mm diam., producing proliferations. Stem upright, to 2 cm, 3mm diam., 1 leaf per stem. Trophophore stalk expanding gradually into blade. Trophophore blade erect or spreading, usually plane when alive, pale green, dull, mostly oblanceolate to obovate to ovate, widest point in middle, to 10 × 3.5 cm, soft, herbaceous, base tapering gradually, apex rounded; venation complex-reticulate, with included free veinlets in areoles. Sporophores arising at ground level, 2.5-4.5 times length of trophophore; sporangial clusters 20-45 × 1-4 mm, with 10-40 pairs of sporangia, apiculum 1-2 mm. 2n =960.


Phenology: Leaves appearing midspring.
Habitat: Frequent and widespread, open fens, marsh edges, pastures, and grassy shores and roadside ditches, north of the southern boundary of Wisconsin glaciation
Elevation: 100-2000 m

Distribution

V2 323-distribution-map.gif

B.C., N.B., N.S., Ont., Que., Alaska, Calif., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Ophioglossum pusillum is inconspicuous and may be much more common than collections indicate. It differs from O. vulgatum in having an ephemeral, membranous basal sheath.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Ophioglossum pusillum"
Warren H. Wagner Jr. +  and Florence S. Wagner +
Rafinesque +
Northern adder's-tongue +  and herbe-sans-couture +
B.C. +, N.B. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Conn. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
100-2000 m +
Frequent and widespread, open fens, marsh edges, pastures, and grassy shores and roadside ditches, north of the southern boundary of Wisconsin glaciation +
Leaves appearing midspring. +
Précis Découv. Somiol. +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Ophioglossum vulgatum var. pseudopodum +
Ophioglossum pusillum +
Ophioglossum +
species +